rgdaniel Posted September 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 Aflac! I don't get it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted September 20, 2010 Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 Also, why do thicker boards cost more per bf? You'd think they'd need less handling (cutting) so would be the same or cheaper... Big trees are a lot more expensive than small trees. You can get two small board from two small trees, but if you want a big board, you need a big tree. Also, you can get small boards out of the leftovers after you cut the big boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onboard Posted September 20, 2010 Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 I don't get it... Sorry, just my poor sense of humor. The Aflac duck (at least I think it's a duck) in the TV commercial is always getting ignored. It was just my feeble attempt to call attention back to my first comment on the article in American Woodworker magazine. Next time I’ll just leave it alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgdaniel Posted September 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 Sorry, just my poor sense of humor. The Aflac duck (at least I think it's a duck) in the TV commercial is always getting ignored. It was just my feeble attempt to call attention back to my first comment on the article in American Woodworker magazine. Next time I’ll just leave it alone. Oh cool. Now I get it. We don't get that commercial, so I missed the reference... when I googled Aflac and got an insurance company, I wondered if we were being spammed! ...thanks for explaining, sorry you felt ignored.... cheers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanJackson Posted September 20, 2010 Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 Also, why do thicker boards cost more per bf? You'd think they'd need less handling (cutting) so would be the same or cheaper... Someone else answered correctly: big trees cost more than small trees. There's also the problem of drying it. Air-drying wood takes about a year... per inch of thickness. So 4/4 cut down last year is air dried by now, but 16/4 cut down in 2007 still has a year to wait. Kiln-drying speeds this up, but it still takes four times longer to dry wood that's four times thicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlloydparks Posted September 20, 2010 Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 Interesting. My dealer's price list shows only "Red Alder" (origin Western USA) at $6.00/bf for 4/4, which is exactly double their price of poplar at that size. And alder's only listed in 4/4 and 8/4, where poplar seems available in up to 4" thicknesses. Geographic thing, I guess... the poplar is listed as from "Eastern North America". So let me ask you this: If I bought, say, 2" or even 3" poplar boards, could I avoid the whole green sapwood thing by just trimming it away? At $3.25/bf for the 2" I can afford to be a little wasteful... it jumps to $4.25/bf for the 3", so might not go there... $3 for bf of 4/4 tulip is quite a bit higher than what I pay. Of course I live in central Virginia where the stuff grows as a weed and quickly at that. I wonder what you can find in the $1.50-$2.00 range at your stuff dealer. That is what I shoot for when I look for a secondary wood. Tulip, Ambrosia Maple, White Pine, and Southern Yellow Pine are usually my go to woods in these cases. Soft maple tends to run a bit higher and alder on the east coast is more expensive than cherry in most cases. Back in the 18th century you would find quite a bit of work that used Southern Yellow Pine as a secondary wood in the Southern US. It is hard and long wearing and usually works well with handtools. Perhaps you have some firs up there in Canada that might meet the requirements for secondary wood. You might could also find some white pine, which I believe was a secondary wood up in the New England area of the States. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgdaniel Posted September 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 I wonder what you can find in the $1.50-$2.00 range at your stuff dealer. Nada... the cheapest thing listed is White Pine #1 & #2 at $2.75, then Poplar, Aspen, Grey Elm and White Ash at $3.00, then Soft Maple, Red Oak, and Willow at $4.00.... it's not like there's much choice either, this place is great but it's three hours away. There's one closer place with similar prices, but they don't have the exotics. I'd consider shipping it in from the States, who apparently have a wealth of choices in this regard, but I'd guess the added shipping would easily eat up any savings... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onboard Posted September 21, 2010 Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 So let me ask you this: If I bought, say, 2" or even 3" poplar boards, could I avoid the whole green sapwood thing by just trimming it away? As far as I understand, the green color is in the heartwood and not the sapwood. Here's a quote from one reference: "white to yellowish cast sapwood, heartwood is straw brown to green with occasional purple mineral streaks." Once again, the article I mentioned (American Woodworker) explains how to remove the green cast from the heartwood using Oxalic Acid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonjarrard Posted September 21, 2010 Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 get poplar for $1.oo bf at my local sawmill, that makes it a great wood. plus i like the colors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgdaniel Posted September 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 As far as I understand, the green color is in the heartwood and not the sapwood. Here's a quote from one reference: "white to yellowish cast sapwood, heartwood is straw brown to green with occasional purple mineral streaks." Once again, the article I mentioned (American Woodworker) explains how to remove the green cast from the heartwood using Oxalic Acid. Really wish I had that magazine now... didn't see that on their website... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgdaniel Posted September 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 get poplar for $1.oo bf at my local sawmill ...jealous... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onboard Posted September 21, 2010 Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 Really wish I had that magazine now... didn't see that on their website... Yeah, the American Woodworker web site is one issue behind. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to read the magazine articles on line anyway. I subscribe to the magazine so I get it a little earlier. It may be on the local newsstand or a magazine rack somewhere by now. Again, it's American Woodworker Oct/Nov 2010, issue #150. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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